Grandfather Teachings
The Seven Sacred Teachings Niizhwaaswi Kchitwaa Kinomaadiwinan
These teachings could be thought of as First Nations, Metis, and Inuit culture's Character Education. They follow the seven sacred teachings: Love, Respect, Courage, Honesty, Wisdom, Humility, and Truth.
The Basics:
Each teaching honours one of the basic virtues intrinsic to a full and healthy life.
Each teaching is represented by an animal.
Each animal offers a special gift and understanding of how we as people should live our lives on Mother Earth. Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together. All things connect. --Chief Seattle, 1854
THE 7 GRANDFATHER TEACHING ANIMALS:
The Eagle - LOVE Zaagidwin
To be at peace with yourself and able to express love to your family, friends and community through your ac ons and words.
Buffalo - RESPECT Mnaadendimowin
Respect is an attitude. To honour and listen to your Elders, parents and teachers is a sign of respect. The buffalo represents Respect because for as a long as we have been here, we have sustained our lives through the Buff alo in terms of clothing, food, shelter, medicine and art.
The Bear - COURAGE Aakwade’ewin
Listen to your heart. It takes courage to do what is right. Courage is being brave in the face of life’s problems. Daily challenges take courage to overcome. Never give in, never give up.
Sabe (a giant who walked among the people; also known as kitch sabe) - HONESTY Gwekwaadiziwin
Never lie, cheat, steal or gossip. Be honest with yourself and others. Speak from your heart. Be true to your word.
The Beaver - WISDOM Nbwaakaawin
Everyone has a special gi . Show wisdom by using your gi . Wisdom is gained through experience and knowledge. To have wisdom is to know the difference between right and wrong and to apply these quali es to your daily life.
The Wolf - HUMILITY Dbaadendiziwin
Think of others before yourself. Humility is to live your life free from arrogance, to not be boastful, and to have a modest sense of your own worth.
The Turtle - TRUTH Debwewin
Always seek truth. Living the truth is living the Seven Teachings.
THE SEVEN GRANDFATHER/GRANDMOTHER TEACHINGS with Elder, Hazel
Manitoba First Nation Elder Dave Courchene explains the origins and lessons of the First Nation Seven Teachings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sASjfNI_lD0
FIRST NATIONS WISDOM - THE TURTLE LODGE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiw5C53-Xg0
Before Truth or Reconciliation can come to pass, all parties will have to trust one another. It will take small steps that all related to education. The Seven Sacred Teachings speaks to the spirituality of many of Canada's First Nations. Use this. Share it. Take a step forward. Good Luck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFPuRfqm9RY
How these Teachings can help during Covid or other difficult times.
More Information on each of the Teachings... TO INFORM AND INSPIRE YOUR ART!
The Eagle = Love
The Eagle is the animal spirit that was chosen to represent this teaching of love because it is the one who could reach the highest in bringing vision to the seeker.
The Eagle is the most revered animal spirit in all of First Nations’ societies as it is the one that flies the highest and closest to the Creator. It is the one that can see the farthest and it is the animal that carries the prayers of the people to the spirits.
The Eagle is also an animal guide as its feathers are utilized in most if not all spiritual practices and ceremonies.
The Eagle is truly respected and loved to the utmost degree and loved unconditionally.
Love is considered the greatest and most powerful medicine and healing agent.
Love all people and all creatures of the world and this love will be returned to you.
Excerpts from: Dave Courchene Jr., and Cindy Crowe
Buffalo = Respect
No animal was more important to the existence of Indigenous families than the buffalo. A single buffalo could provide food, shelter, clothing and utensils for daily living. First Nations people were true conservationists for they lived in a sustainable relationship with the buffalo and they believed themselves to be true caretakers of the great herds. Through this special relationship the true spirit of Respect was understood.
The buffalo, through giving its life and sharing every part of its being, showed the deep respect it had for the people. This sustainable and mutual relationship with the buffaalo resulted in a relationship that was a true expression of respect.
This spirit of respect was shown toward all of life because Native people saw the interconnectedness to all life. They saw very clearly their dependence on the land. Therefore, the land and its resources were to be given absolute respect. When this respect was abused, the buffalo were hunted for fun; which in part caused there to be no great buffalo herds in the wild any longer.
Excerpts taken from: George Marn, Lillian Pitawanakwat, Cindy Crowe, Dave Courchene Jr
The Bear = Courage
The Bear provides many lessons in the way it lives, yet courage is the most important teaching it off ers. Though gentle by nature, the ferociousness of a mother Bear when one of her cubs is approached is the true definition of courage.
The Bear represents living of the heart – living your spirit.
The Bear is very close to the land and it has brought many medicines to the people. Teachers, protectors, healers are all examples of living the Bear totem. When we have a hard time in our life, whether it be something we are going through or a decision that we have to make in our lives and we are afraid, we call on the spirit of the Bear to help us have the courage and strength to do the right thing in our lives.
To have the mental and moral strength to overcome fears that prevent us from living our true spirit as human beings is a great challenge that must be met with the same vigour and intensity as a mother Bear protecting her cub.
Living of the heart and living of the spirit is difficult, but the Bear’s example shows us how to face any danger with courage to achieve these goals.
Excerpts from: Dave Courchene Jr., and Cindy Crowe
The Sabe = Honesty
The Sabe which represents this law and teaching symbolically refl ects the understanding of honesty.
The elders say that when you are honest and have nothing to hide or be ashamed of, your spirit is the size of the Sabe.
When you lie or do something bad and hide it from the people, it affects your spirit, not allowing it to grow strong. It does not feel good when you know you have done wrong and hidden it. When one does this, it eats away at your spirit [conscience], suppressing it and not allowing it to grow strong.
So in order to have a strong spirit we must be honest to ourselves and to others. To be truly honest was to keep the promises one made to the Creator, to others and to oneself.
Excerpts taken from: Cindy Crowe and Dave Courchene Jr. 13 McIntyre Media Inc. • email: info@mcintyre.ca • www.mcintyre.ca
The Beaver= Wisdom
The building of a community is entirely dependant on gifts given to each member of the community by the Great Spirit. These gifts must be utilized for the betterment of the community.
The beaver represents that building. The beaver’s example of using his special gifts he has received, his sharp teeth for cutting trees and branches which he uses to building dams and lodges expresses this teaching.
If the beaver did not use his gift to build, his teeth would grow and grow ultimately making it impossible for him to sustain himself and ul mately will lead to his demise. The beaver knows his gifts and uses them to the best of his abilities.
The Wolf= Humility
In the natural world, the wolf expresses this humbleness very clearly.
The wolf lives within a pack of other wolves. The pack operates as a team. Each animal has a role within this pack to play. Several animals may be the hunters, some may be the protectors, some may be the nurturers and others may be the pups that follow, learn and grow.
Each animal is not more important than the others as each animal must perform the role that it has for the survival and be erment of the pack. Each animal within the pack is very important thus none is better than the other.
When the wolf comes up to another larger creature, this animal will bow its head not out of fear, but out of humbleness. He humbles himself in your presence.
A wolf that has hunted food will take this food back to the den to eat with the pack before he takes the first bite of food. The act of sharing from one animal to another is shown clearly with this example.
The animal must share for the survival of the pack.
Excerpts from: Dave Courchene Jr., Cindy Crowe and Richard Carlson, PhD.
The Turtle = Truth
It is said that in the beginning, when the Creator made man and gave him the Seven Sacred Teachings, the Grandmother Turtle was present to ensure that the laws would never be lost or forgotten.
The turtle also teaches us patience. As the turtle is one of the slowest moving creatures of Earth, it is her that seems to make it to her destination no matter the length of time that it may take her.
Grandmother turtle carries all teachings with her because if you count the markings on her back you will find 13 inner markings and 28 outer markings. This represents an old calendar of the days where we followed the moon as our guide. During this time we had 13 months and with 28 days each. This represented the truth of one cycle of the earth’s rotation around the sun [13 months] and the length of one month [28 days] with the cycle of the moon. Plus, it helped represent the cycle of a woman’s body as well.
The turtle reminds us the cycles of the moon, the sun, the body and all of crea on.
Grandmother turtle also carries her home on her back. She teaches us that all of life is sacred. The shell of the turtle represents the body of real events as created by the Higher Power and serves as a reminder of the Creator’s will and teachings. These signs are a confirmaton of the Truth which the turtle reflects.
Excerpts from: Dave Courchene Jr., and Cindy Crowe 14 McIntyre Media Inc. • email: info@mcintyre.ca • www.mcintyre.caAc vity #4
Making a Value Rock Ask each students bring in a smooth rock about the size of a fit, or purchase a bag of river rocks and let each student choose a rock a er they have been washed and dried. Ask each student to use paint or permanent markers to write one Teaching on each stone. They are to choose the Teaching that is most important to them, and share their understanding of why it seems important to them. They should provide an example of how the Teaching relates to their daily life. Students meet with a partner/small group to discuss the grandfather and which they think are most important, or are they all important together, as a ‘bundle’? Once again, convene in a talking circle and have partners/ groups discuss which Teaching they have chosen and why?
